Estimation of pyruvate decarboxylation in perfused rat skeletal muscle

By the determination of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in tissue homogenates only limited information is gained on the actual metabolic flux. We therefore determined pyruvate decarboxylation in isolated rat hindlimbs non recirculating perfused with physiological (1-14C)pyruvate levels. On the basis of perfusate pyruvate specific activity a 14CO2 production of 15.8 +/- 0.5 nmol/min per g muscle was measured. However, by this method the actual pyruvate flux through the enzyme complex is underestimated by a factor of 7 due to the intracellular dilution of label.